Pacific League Softbank 10-2 Orix (3rd, Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka)
Softbank Dai Makihara became the first player from his upbringing to reach the season's batting average hitter. He reached the regulation limit for the first time in his 15th year as a professional with three at bats. He also hit .340 with 2 hit at bats, putting him one game ahead of second-place Yanagimachi (.292). Manager Kokubo said, "The game was won today. Congratulations," he congratulated them in his speech at the final home game.
The 32-year-old joined the team from Johoku High School (Kumamoto) as the fifth pick in the 2010 development draft. While Senga (currently with the Mets), who was picked fourth, and Kai (currently The Giants), who was picked sixth, were on the road to stardom, he spent his time as a super sub. "I want development players to aim for me, and catching up to Senga and Takuya (Kai) is a big deal. They were the ones who stood out. I've finally joined the team," he said, basking in emotion.
With his ultra-aggressive batting style, his seven Walk are the fewest in both leagues among players who have reached the required number of batters, surpassing Gunma. His batting average of .340 is also the lowest in the two-league system. All of this, along with other things, is a fitting accolade for Makihara Dai, whose selling point is his down-to-earth approach. (Shimao Koichiro)
Related News
・ [Scoreboard] Softbank vs. Orix
・ [Softbank] The consecutive league champions also enjoyed a fruitful autumn with individual titles, winning the final home game
・ [Softbank] Taisei Makihara reaches the required number of at-bats for the first time in his 15th year as a pro, becoming the first hitter from the development team to become the batting champion.
・ [Seibu] Keisuke Nakata gets his first professional RBI but laughs shyly, saying "Don't touch me..." After being released from Softbank Hawks and joining Seibu
・ [NPB Today's Highlights] Softbank is just four games away from hitting its 9,500th home run, becoming the third team in history to do so.
